Northcentral University

Dr. Docter is the program coordinator for the applied behavior analysis specialization. She joined us in the beginning of this year as a curriculum SME, later as an adjunct faculty, and in May as a program coordinator for the ABA specialization. Dr. Docter holds a Doctorate of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. She was previously the director and clinical assistant professor for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Program at Loyola Marymount University. Please join me in warmly welcoming Dr. Melinda Docter. After sharing this thrilling news, I want to express my excitement for meeting all of you hopefully at a virtual symposium and graduation in August. I know we will have much to discuss and share. I am looking forward to many productive, open, and supportive discussions. I want to thank each of you for all the support and engagement you provide for our students. I also want to thank all of you for your engagement in curriculum projects and all the other activities that you engage in that support the department, School, and University. Because of your commitment and involvement this is a great department and a great place for our students to learn, explore, and grow. Thank you! Darren Adamson, PhD Chair, Department of Marriage and Family Sciences Greetings Colleagues and Friends! The COVID-19 Pandemic continues to be top of mind as we struggle to understand how we can protect ourselves and one another from this anxiety- provoking virus. Yet, this situation pales in comparison to the heart-wrenching stories that we are hearing more openly than ever of the dehumanizing racism that has been a part of the United States for centuries. We hear and see in vivid detail the brutality of actions like those that took the lives of George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and so many others, whose only "crime" was the color of their skin. These stories are the more recent ones and thousands of others more and less brutal could be told by countless other Black Americans through the years of our history as a nation. These stories have become more and more disturbing to me as I have opened up to hearing and seeing them. I am grateful to a number of my colleagues who have been so willing to help me see more clearly my privilege and to increase my awareness of

• Cover